My First Date
by Dr. Michaela Quinn
Summary: Alex follows Jennifer on her first date- her 6th grade dance. Alex turns out to be a hit with the young teachers, especially Jennifer's and she goes home angry and embarrassed.
1. Alex Embarrasses Jennifer

"Mom, where's Mallory?" Jennifer asked walking into the kitchen. Elyse looked up at her youngest daughter.

"I think she's in the living room. Why?" Elyse asked.

"She said she'd help me get ready for my date tonight." Jennifer responded. Steven put his paper down.

"Date? Jen, you're only 12." Steven stated.

"It's the Valentine's Dance at school and mom said I could go." Jennifer replied.

"Elyse?" Steven said looking at his wife. Elyse took Andy's bottle off of the counter.

"I said you could go to the dance. I never said anything about a date." Elyse said.

"Come on mom. It's too late to say no now. He'll be here in an hour and a half." Jennifer stated. Elyse looked at Steven.

"If your dad says yes, you can go." Elyse replied.

"Elyse!" Steven exclaimed.

"I have to feed Andy, Steven. Just say something." Elyse said as she walked out of the kitchen.

"Dad, please let me go. I really want to go." Jennifer said. Alex walked into the kitchen and grabbed an apple off the counter.

"Please?" Jennifer begged.

"Hey, Jen, what's going on?" Alex asked. Jennifer looked at him.

"I'm trying to get dad to let me go to the Valentine's Dance at school." Jennifer said. Alex took a bite out of the apple.

"I remember my 6th grade Valentine's Dance." Alex remembered and went to walk out.

"Alex." Steven said. Alex stopped.

"Yeah dad?" Alex asked.

"Would you mind chaperoning a dance?" Steven asked.

"Well, I was going to ask Skippy if he wanted to go to the movies, but I can." Alex replied.

"Dad!" Jennifer exclaimed aggravated.

"Now hear me out Jen. Either Alex goes to chaperone the dance or neither of you go." Steven replied. Jennifer scowled at Alex.

"Just don't do anything embarrassing." Jennifer stated.

"I'm not like dad Jennifer. I won't do anything I promise." Alex responded. Jennifer looked at her brother.

"Yeah right." Jennifer walked into the living room. Mallory, Elyse, and Andy were sitting on the couch. Mallory looked at her.

"Well, can you go?" Mallory asked. Jennifer sighed.

"Yeah, but Alex has to go as a chaperone." Jennifer replied.

"Oh, I think that's a wonderful idea!" Elyse exclaimed.

"Well I hate it. I can't believe my big brother has to take me to the dance." Jennifer frowned and plopped down in the chair.

"Well come on, let's go prepare." Mallory said. Jennifer and Mallory walked up the stairs.

_ One hour later_

There was a knock at the door. Alex opened the door and saw a scrawny blonde haired kid with glasses.

"Is Jennifer here?" He asked.

"Yes she is. Come on in. I'm Alex, Jennifer's older brother and your escort for the evening." Alex replied.

"Escort?" He questioned and looked at Alex.

"Long story." Alex responded. "These are our parents." Steven and Elyse walk over.

"I'm Mr. Keaton." Steven shook his hand.

"And I'm Mrs. Keaton." Elyse shook his hand. "Jennifer! Your date is here!" Mallory walked down the stairs and came over by Elyse.

"Jennifer will be down in a minute." Mallory said. The door upstairs closed and everybody looked at the stairs. Jennifer walked down with her hair curled up in a bun; she has on a diamond necklace, matching earrings and a dark blue dress with no sleeves, but touches her shoulders.

"Jennifer, you look beautiful." He said.

"Thanks Matthew." Jennifer puts her hand in his as she steps down off the last step.

"Come on." Alex said. "It's time to go." Jennifer, Alex and Matthew go outside to Alex's car.

_Several hours later_

Jennifer and Matthew are sitting against the wall.

"Are you sure you don't wanna dance?" Matthew asked.

"We've been dancing all night. I would just like to rest some first." Jennifer responded.

"There's Alex." Matthew stated. Jennifer looks up and saw her brother talking to her teacher. Jennifer stood up and walked over to Alex.

"Alex, what are you doing?" Jennifer asked.

"Just talking to your teacher." Alex said.

"Would you like to dance? You're a very charming gentleman. Good bye Miss Keaton." Jennifer's teacher and Alex walked away and hit the dance floor. They started doing some awful dancing. Jennifer walked over again.

"Alex, I'd really like to go home." Jennifer said. Alex looked at her.

"Jennifer, we'll go in a little bit." Alex replied. They danced a little while longer. When Jennifer looked at her brother and teacher they were kissing.

"That's disgusting. Right Matthew?" Jennifer said. "Matthew?" she looked around, but he wasn't there. "I'm not sticking around here." Jennifer grabbed her jacket and ran out with tears running down her face.

_Later_

When Alex walked in the front door, Steven and Elyse were sitting on the couch.

"Alex, what happened at Jennifer's dance?" Elyse asked.

"She danced. Why?" Alex asked.

"Because she ran home, was in hysterics, ran up the stairs and locked herself in her room, and you walked in an hour and a half after her. Did you two have a fight?" Steven asked.

"No. I never even realized she was gone." Alex stated.

"Oh, I understand now." Elyse said. "You found a woman, embarrassed and ignored your sister."

"I'll go talk to her." Alex said. Steven nodded and Alex walked up the stairs and knocked on Jennifer's door.

"Go away!" Jennifer hollered through the door.

"Jennifer, let me in. We need to talk. I'm sorry about everything that happened. I didn't mean to ignore you." Alex said. Jennifer's door was unlocked and opened. Jennifer's face was blood red, probably from crying.

"You were seen with my teacher. If it were anybody else I wouldn't care as much, but it was MY teacher!" Jennifer exclaimed.

"Is that why you're upset?" Alex asked.

"Yes, and I'll never forgive you." Jennifer replied and slammed the door shut in Alex's face.


	2. Talking

**A/N: Kinda thought I'd put a new chapter on this story. It's the only positive **_**Family Ties**_** story I currently have :D Although the other two are now complete if you'd like to read ****The Graduation ****or ****Alex's Incident ****=)**

Alex stood at the door. He wasn't going to give up this easily. He leaned on the door and knocked.

"Come on Jennifer. We can talk about this." Alex said.

"No we can't!" Jennifer hollered from behind the door. He put his hand on the knob.

"Please Jen?" Alex turned the knob and opened the door a crack. "Let me in? I want to talk to you about it." He opened the door wider to see Jennifer sitting on the bed holding a stuff animal close to her chest.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Would you rather be mad at me?" Alex questioned. Jennifer turned away from him. He walked over to the bed and sat down next to her. "Don't be like this Jennifer. We used to be able to talk about anything. You would come to me with your problems." Jennifer turned to glare at him.

"You kissing my teacher is not my problem; it's yours." She stated in disgust and then she buried her face in the stuffed animal. "Just get out Alex. Go away." He was hurt that she would say that to him, but he had to understand her point of view. Alex stood up and walked towards the door.

"Alright, I'm going." He said and then walked out of the room closing the door behind him. Alex rested his head against his arm as he propped it against the door frame; but then he walked down the stairs. Mallory, Steven and Elyse were sitting on the couch playing a game.

"How did it go with Jennifer, Alex?" Elyse asked.

"How do you think it went mom?" Alex replied.

"Not well I take it Elyse." Steven replied. Mallory stood up.

"I'll go talk to her. I'm used to Alex playing big brother and embarrassing me." Alex scoffed.

"I was not playing "big brother" Mallory; although if you were her older sister I wouldn't have to parent you two so much."

"Excuse me?!" Elyse exclaimed, "we are still here Alex."

"You know what I mean mom." Elyse stood up.

"I'll go talk to her."

"What about our game?" Steven questioned looking up at her.

"We can finish when I come back down," She sighed, "it'll take Mallory that long to decide what she wants to do anyway." And then she walked up the stairs and knocked on Jennifer's door.

"Go away Alex!"

"Jennifer, open up." She said and then waited until she heard the lock on Jennifer's door. "I heard that you had an interesting evening." Jennifer opened the door and stood there crying. She was pulling the ponytail holder out of her hair so the bun tumbled into curls on her shoulders.

"You could say that." She replied and walked back over to the bed and took her pillow in her arms. Elyse took that as her cue to step into the room. She sat on the bed next to Jennifer and pushed her hair behind her shoulder.

"I heard what happened with Alex," Elyse said, "I think you should talk to him." Jennifer looked down at her pillow.

"I'm never talking to Alex again."

"Come on Jen, you know you can't do that." Elyse slid over and wrapped her arms around Jennifer. Then she fell back onto her mother's chest and cried.

"Mom, it was horrible. I can't talk to him. He embarrassed me in front of everybody. They all know he's my brother and he kissed a teacher."

"Is that awful? I'm sure he didn't do it to hurt you."

"Maybe he did! He did it just because he knew I'd be upset!" Jennifer exclaimed and Elyse looked down at her.

"Now you know that isn't true and you know that. Alex loves you; he didn't do anything to hurt you." Jennifer kicked the air.

"Maybe." She said softly.

"So you'll talk to him?" Elyse asked. "He is sorry Jennifer. Alex feels bad about what he did."

"I know," Jennifer sighed, "I'll talk to him tomorrow maybe. I'm tired." Elyse nodded and stood up.

"Good night Jennifer." She kissed the top of her head. Jennifer crawled under the blanket and Elyse turned off the light as she walked out closing the door behind her. When she got downstairs, Alex, Steven and Mallory were sitting on the couch.

"How's Jennifer?" Steven asked looking up at her.

"She went to bed. But she said she might talk to Alex," she said and then looked to Alex, "you really hurt her Alex."

"I know. I didn't mean to hurt her and wish I knew how to fix it."

"You'll just have to figure it out Alex. You can do that."


End file.
